What is All the Hype About the Keto Diet?

The Ketodiet is founded on the body’s natural ability to consume stored fats to fuel it in the absence of glucose. When there’s insufficient amount of carbohydrates in the body, blood sugar level drops and the body enters a state of ketosis. The body then produces components called “ketones” which come from fats broken down in the liver. The goal of the keto diet is to force the body to use this alternative energy source to improve fat loss.

Keto Diet Meal Plan

A typical keto diet meal requires food with low amounts of sugar, protein, and carbohydrates. With that, you should avoid sweet and starchy foods if you plan to pursue this diet plan.

Avoid consuming food with lots of carbs. The ideal amount you should consume per day is around 20g max. Pasta, potatoes, rice, and even bread – all of these are starchy and carry large amounts of carbohydrates which don’t contribute in any way to fat loss. The consumption of processed foods is also strongly discouraged in the diet.

Tea, coffee, and water are all allowed as long as you avoid putting in sweeteners or drinking sweetened versions of these beverages. Wine can also be consumed but in occasional amounts only.

There’s no cheat day on a keto diet. Taking a break from your diet can ruin the things you’ve built up for the last couple of weeks. When you take a break, your body will have to reset before it gets back to the state of ketosis which you don’t want to happen.

Below is a sample keto diet plan to get a good view of what you can eat.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 1

Eggs

Tuna cheese melt

Chicken casserole

Day 2

Frittata

Meat pie

Baked salmon

Day 3

Porridge

Salad

Carbonara

Day 4

Dairy-free latte

Chicken breast

Tex-mex casserole

Day 5

Mushroom omelet

Salad

Brussel sprouts

You can see that we have planned this diet to be lower in red meat, but you do want as much protein as you can eat.

Keto diet requires long-term commitment to achieve its full effect. You can start with a 14-day or 30-day diet plan to prepare yourself for the long haul.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Since you’re limiting the consumption of sugary and starchy foods, it may cross your mind that you’re missing important nutrients your body needs. A carefully planned keto diet ensures every nutrient the body needs – potassium, sodium, protein, and other vitamins – are incorporated into your daily meals. Seek the help of your dietician to help determine the food and the amount you need to consume to keep a healthy balanced diet. Nutrient supplements are sometimes given by dieticians to fix imbalances.

There are, however, some temporary side effects which you may experience during the first few days of the diet. These are:

Muscle cramping

Temporary hair loss

Palpitations

Reduced physical ability

You’ll eventually recover from these in a few days after your body adapts to using the new energy source you’re requiring it to utilize.

Conclusion

Many are attracted to the keto diet plan because it shows significant and rapid fat loss results in just a few days. Aside from that, the diet stabilizes the blood sugar levels and it can improve your eating habits. However, it requires intense discipline to enable you to push through this long-term diet plan.

If you’re prepared to change your eating habits to achieve a healthy and lean body, the keto diet plan may be the appropriate option for you.

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About Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT

Mike is a passionate bodybuilder, NPC Competitor and ISSA Certified Personal Trainer who is always looking for ways to do things better. He also has a passion for correcting the misinformation that is prevalent in the bodybuilding and fitness industry today. Mike is currently working on his first eBook, Get Back to Lifting, which is scheduled to be released soon. He is also working on a second book, The Average Guy's Supplement Guide, that is scheduled to be released the end of 2016.